HCS HB 697 -- MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS

SPONSOR:  St. Onge (Lembke)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Transportation by a vote of 12 to 4.

Under this substitute, emissions testing on certain motor
vehicles will not be required prior to a sale or transfer if the
testing and approval occurred within 90 days immediately
preceding the sale or transfer.

The substitute exempts from emissions testing motor vehicles
within four years of the specific model year and motor vehicles
owned by persons 65 years of age or older with not more than
5,000 miles per year on the odometer of the vehicle since its
last emissions testing.

Vehicles which fail emissions standards testing may be repaired
by a mechanic of the owner's choice.  The waiver amount by the
Clean Air Commission will include the labor cost associated with
the repairs.  The waiver amount is adjusted from $450 to $300 for
vehicles of 1997 and subsequent model years.

The Department of Natural Resources is required to consult and
negotiate with the federal Environment Protection Agency
regarding any rule change which may adversely impact the state's
compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.  The Joint Interim
Committee on Emissions is established for the 2005 legislative
interim.  Any proposed rules to be promulgated or modified will
be sent to the committee by September 1, 2005.  The committee
will provide its recommendations on any proposed rule by November
1, 2005.

Several provisions of the substitute become effective January 1,
2006.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on General Revenue Fund in FY 2006, FY
2007, and FY 2008.  Estimated Cost on Other State Funds of
$192,780 in FY 2006, $385,560 in FY 2007, and $385,560 in FY
2008.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the current testing program is a
burden and is not doing enough to improve air quality.  Advances
in automotive technology have lessened the need for testing
because later model vehicle emissions are cleaner.  Seventy-five
percent of the vehicles operating today are model year 1996 or
newer which have the newer technology.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Lembke; Department of
Natural Resources; Department of Transportation; St. Louis
Regional Chamber and Growth Association; and City of St. Louis.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that they are strongly
opposed to lowering the bar of the automotive repair industry in
regards to the emissions repair by unqualified mechanics.

Testifying against the bill were Alliance of Automotive Service
Providers of Missouri; Sun Auto Enterprises, Incorporated; Sun
Service Center, Incorporated; Advanced Auto Service; Alliance of
Automotive Services Providers; Autotech 2000, Incorporated; and B
& G Enterprises, Incorporated.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that if Missouri does
away with the current emissions requirement at this time, it will
create a breach of contract with the current emissions testing
providers.

Others testifying on the bill was ESP Missouri.

Robert Triplett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:20 pm